


Step up

by LeMera (Agha)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-09 06:05:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6893146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agha/pseuds/LeMera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James steps forward, and Tony steps up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Step up

Rhodey had sweat dripping down his temples, hunching over with his hands set on the metal bars.

"I bet you can take another one," Tony said, fake-casual, and leaned back in his chair as he watched. "You're going to soft on yourself."

Rhodey threw him a grin, and took a stronger hold on the bars. "What are we betting about?"

"Well, my wonderful friendship, of course."

He let out a surprise laugh, and slowly lifted his right leg. Tony's heart jack-rabbited in his chest as he waited. With the carefulness of an overworked sloth, Rhodey took one more step forward.

Tony whooped. "Told you."

Rhodey's sweaty hands slipped on the bars and he tilted forward, and Tony was on his feet in a flash, his heart berating a mile a minute. He hurried to Rhodey's side and grabbed his arm.

"I'm okay," Rhodey said, waving his help off. "Just tired." He pulled himself up, but his right leg wouldn't support him properly and he almost fell over again. Tony grabbed his arm this time, and practically dragged him to the examination table near by.

"I think there's something wrong with the right one," Rhodey frowned down on the metal on his leg as he hopped along.

"Hop on up and I'll check." Tony patted the table, and helped Rhodey up. "Think it's gotten lose somehow," he mumbled, putting his hands on the metal. He'd built it for the express purpose that it wouldn't fuck up. He immediately felt like shit. He'd put his friend in the suit, put him in the Avengers, and then put him against Captain America. And now he'd put him in a pair of bad legs.

He was so stupid.

"Tony," James' hand rested over his. "Stop beating yourself up. It's a great."

He put on a fake smile. "Of course it is, I built it."

Rhodey's face clearly showed that he didn't quite believe his bravado, but he let it go and relaxed back.

Tony's hand caressed up his leg, feeling every point of the metal he'd built, making sure everything was steady. When he reached up to the hip, he was so engrossed in his thoughts he barely realized something had changed before he felt something hard that most definitely was not a piece of metal.

He pulled his hands back as if burnt. Rhodey didn't move, other than put his hands over his eyes and press. "Sorry, automatic reaction to being felt up." He took his hands away and smiled apologetically.

Tony's mouth had suddenly gone dry. "Been a while, huh?" he said, voice lower than he'd anticipated. He did everything he could in order not to stare on Rhodey's crotch.

He snorted. "You could say that."

Tony opened and closed his hands a few times, mind whirring. "I could..." he trailed off, unsure about what he'd been planning to say. Rhodey pushed himself up on his elbows and quirked an eyebrow in question. "Remember in college, when one of us would be in the mood and no girls were around?

This time Rhodey all-out laughed. "You offering me a hand-job? And then the customary 'no-homo' follow-up?" He kept grinning as if it was the funniest thing in the world, and Tony felt his face turn blank.

Of course he wouldn't be interested. How stupid was it to even ask. "Never mind," he muttered.

"Hey, Tony, come on." Rhodey stopped smiling and stretched a hand out for him, getting into a sitting position. "It's not that I don't want to."

"You just don't want it with me," he finished for him, refusing to go closer again.

"Don't be silly, when did I ever turn you down?" Tony opened his mouth to respond. "When you or I weren't in a relationship." He closed it again. "I'm just to old for that no-homo bro-job bullshit, and quite frankly so are you."

"So you prefer blow jobs now?" Tony tried to crack a smile, but Rhodey didn't smile back.

"I prefer real relationships, out in the open."

Tony's heart sank. "Oh." He opened and closed the buttons on his vest a few times, unsure what to say next. Did this mean Rhodey had met someone? Someone to marry, who'd eventually grow tired of how much time he spent around Tony. And Rhodey would give Tony up for this person, because he loved them, and Tony would soon be a long-forgotten memory.

"There's no 'Don't ask Don't tell' anymore, Tony. I can finally do what you and Pepper have been doing."

"Pepper and I aren't together anymore," he reminded him.

Rhodey waved the comment off. "She'll take you back eventually."

"I don't think I want her to." The words came out in a rush, unplanned, and he felt about as shocked as Rhodey looked.

Of course he wanted Pepper back. He loved Pepper. He would always love Pepper.

But...

Pepper couldn't take being in a relationship with Iron Man, and quite frankly he couldn't blame her. If he'd been her, and had to stay at home as the person he loved flew out on dangerous missions, unable to help, well, he wouldn't cope with that too well either.

  
"I don't think we'll truly work in the long run. She's not like you and me Rhodey, she can't be out there and fight, and she can't stand staying at home waiting."

This time when Rhodey reached out, Tony walked into his touch and allowed himself to be embraced. "I'm sorry Tones."

"So am I," he whispered into Rhodey's shoulder. He smelled like sweat, and it shouldn't make Tony as comfortable as he felt.

He took a step back again, and tried to shake the sadness off. "Now tell me Rhodey," he said, pressing forth a smile, "who's the lucky person you've been planning to date out in the open?"

Rhodey shrugged. "No one right now. I'm waiting for the right person to ask."

"And you don't do casual sex while you're waiting?"

Rhodey smiled, almost sad. "I never did do casual sex Tony."

Tony snorted. "Then what the hell were we doing in college?"

"Honestly?" His face was open and vulnerable, and he gave a self-deceptive smile. "I was under the impression that we dated, until you told you told me otherwise."

Tony's brain halted for a second.

"You thought....? We....? You WANTED me?" he almost shouted, his blood going hot. "And I didn't know?"

Rhodey shrugged again. "Why do you think I didn't write you back when I joined up, and took the first assignment as far away from here as possible?"

"I thought you were busy! And you didn't have a choice!"

"I was heartbroken. I needed time away."

"Wait..." Tony held his hands up and stepped further back. Then he took a few turns around the room. Then he picked up his forgotten coffee, and swallowed it down even though it'd gone disgustingly cold. Then he sat down for a second.

Then he went up to Rhodey, and went on his knees between Rhodey's legs.

"The fuck Tony?" he exclaimed and scrambled backwards.

"Kind of the point," Tony responded with a smirk, and put his hands on Rhodey's thighs. "Don't play hard-to-get, I'm old, my knees will only allow me to remain down here for a short period of time."

"I told you I don't do casual fucks."

Tony rested his forehead against Rhodey's knee, afraid to look up. Afraid that he'd read the whole thing wrong.

He'd wasted so much time because of his own stupidity, but he didn't want to waste any more.

"It wouldn't be casual, if we did this," he said, his eyes still set on the metal legs he'd built his friend. "I promise."

Rhodey's fingers carded through his hair, and Tony closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling.

"Tones, I love you, but..."

He flinched away from the touch. There was always a ' _but_ '.

"You just broke up with Pepper," Rhodey finished.

"Because we didn't fit, she couldn't take the superhero lifestyle." He finally looked up, and met Rhodey's eyes. They were wide and confused, but there was also a spark of something else there. Hope. He wanted this. He just wasn't sure if it was real. "Don't you see? That's why you and I work together. We're both superheroes."

"I'm not a superhero anymore," Rhodey pointed out. "No funktion in my legs, remember?"

Tony snorted. "I've already started to make changes to your suit to accommodate it, you'll be up flying in no time." Doubt curled in his stomach. "Unless you're done with that part of your life?"

Rhodey's grin was brighter then the sun, and his hand moved down Tony's head to caress his cheek. "I'm going to fly again?" he almost whispered, as if afraid that saying it out loud would make someone take it away.

"Of course. Fuck it, I'll go to the shop and fix it right now." He went to stand up, but something in his knees protested, and he had to support himself on Rhodey's thighs.

"Easy there," Rhodey said, catching his arms. "You don't have to do it right now."

"Told you about the knees," he gritted, but he still relaxed back down to the floor. "Need to do this fast."

"You think you can get me off fast?" Rhodey said, amused. There was a spark of challenge in his eyes.

Tony moved his hands up his thighs, but got no reaction. Then he remembered there was no sensation, and immediately cupped Rhodey's now softened dick instead of teasing. It immediately took notice, and began to harden once more.

"I'm glad you didn't lose function here in the fall," Tony said with a smirk. He rubbed over it, and Rhodey groaned.

"Fuck, fine. But I'm serious Tony. If we're doing this, we're doing it for real."

"I'll take you out on dinner the moment after I've sucked you so good you won't be able to sta-.... Eh..." He trailed off. "Sit?"

Rhodey laughed, and shook his head as if he couldn't deal with the stupidity. He caressed Tony's cheek, and leaned down. Tony pushed off the table to get up, despite his body's protest, and met him halfway.

They'd never kissed before, and Tony's heart was beating bruises into his ribs. Their first kiss was hesitant and in an angle too awkward to really work. Tony pulled back, tilted his head, and kissed him again. This time, their lips came together perfectly. Rhodey's hands went into his hair as he pulled him closer, opening his mouth to the kiss, and Tony eagerly allowed his tongue into his mouth. They kissed until Tony's lungs felt like they might explode, yet he was still unwilling to let go. Rhodey tasted sweet, and he wanted to taste him forever.

They broke apart, panting, and Rhodey smiled brilliantly.

"I love you."

Tony smiled back. "I love you too, honey boo."

Rhodey rolled his eyes, and pushed him back down on his knees. "Let's see if your skills are as good as the rumors say."

"Heard rumors about me, have you?" Tony smiled cheekily, and cupped his cock again. He realized they'd never actually done this before. Their sexual history mostly included rushed hand jobs. "Dreamt about me sucking you off?" He leaned forward and opened Rhodey's zipper with his teeth, and Rhodey groaned loudly. "On my knees for you."

"Usually, in my dreams, I'm fucking your mouth so hard just to SHUT YOU UP."

Tony knew it was meant as a joke, but his dick didn't care, as it immediately hardened at the thought. "Oh yes please." He pulled Rhodey's pants down, cursing as the metal stopped him, and then he fiddled with the metal for a few seconds, which was frustrating for both of them.

When they were finally down, and Rhodey's cock sprung up from its prison, leaking precome already, he wasted no time taking him into his mouth.

"Fuck!" Rhodey exclaimed, and then pushed his hand into his mouth to muffle himself.

Tony didn't like that, and he pulled back with a pop. Rhodey made a noise of protest, until Tony took his his hand out of his mouth and pushed it into his hair. Then he went back to make true of his promise to make Rhodey come so hard he wouldn't be able to even sta- _sit_.

 

"We should get married," Tony said, a while later, as they laid in post-coital bliss on that same table. "Before you're shot out of the sky and actually die."

Rhodey laughed for a long time, which wasn't really a yes or a no. Tony didn't care. They had time to talk about it.

Hopefully.


End file.
